“I’m building a bright future in a sector I know best”

Chantel Firman, franchisee for Devon and Cornwall, talks about her big move and setting up a new business with Kenect Recruitment

Having been born and bred in the Midlands, I spent a lot of my childhood and adult life visiting the south west of England during holiday season.

So it was only natural that I had developed a strong desire to finally make this beautiful part of the country my home in later life.

Life-changing choice

In August 2020 I made the decision to realise my dream and sell up and move.

With any life-changing choice, there are many factors to consider - one of these being employment.

Having spent over two decades in HR and recruitment, it was a sector I knew best, understood and, more importantly, it was a job I had a real connection with. It didn’t feel like work to me, as I enjoyed the day-to-day interaction with people and the satisfaction of placing people into work.

Moving over 200 miles was a daunting thought. Apart from a few family members close by, I knew nobody; I didn’t know the area I had purchased a house in and had no idea of the current job market or the industry surrounding me.

Exploring the opportunities

After considering other employment options, I kept coming back to recruitment. So my next task was to explore the opportunities in the area.

I then came across a franchise opportunity with Kenect Recruitment and luckily for me the Devon Hand Cornwall region was available to purchase.

Following a meeting with franchise director David De-Lacy Jones, my fears of starting up my own business from scratch soon disappeared.

Kenect is a well-regarded agency and trusted supplier to many blue-chip companies. This was perfect for me, knowing that I would be joining an established brand and supported in every avenue of running my own business, while still maintaining the autonomy to grow and develop the south west region.

David explained the process of becoming a franchisee in detail and with the very low start-up costs it didn’t take long for me to decide it would be the perfect fit for me and my new life in Devon.

Not looked back

I finally made the big move at the end of March 2021 and Kenect Devon and Cornwall was launched on April 6.

With Kenect’s strong preferred supplier list, it wasn’t long before I started placing my first candidates into work.

Since then, I’ve seen my business grow week on week and the satisfaction of knowing that I started with nothing has been immense.

I can truly say I’ve never looked back. Having the franchise has allowed me to meet so many new people and integrate myself into Devon life much quicker than I ever thought.

I’m now five months on and my business is going from strength to strength, expanding on a weekly basis.

Kenect has given me the confidence and support to continue doing the job I love while maintaining the perfect work-life balance I was looking for.

My expected revenues for the first full year of trading will exceed £600,000, with a substantial profit margin.

I would highly recommend getting in touch with Kenect Recruitment to see what opportunities lie ahead for you.

At a glance

Established:

2012

Number of franchised outlets:

12 (plus 13 owned)

Location of units:

throughout the UK

Investment range:

£19,995

Minimum required capital:

funding available

Contact:

David De-Lacy Jones